The Importance of Education in The Republic by Plato

The great philosopher Plato, speaking through the character of Socrates in his book The Republic, holds the belief that true and good education is what leads civilizations to prosper. Due to this, he is very concerned with the issue of education and how it will be addressed in the state that he and his fellow companions hope to design and build. He talks about how important education is in achieving this idea of justice and morality. Furthermore, I believe that many of the concepts he brings about relating to this subject are still very valid today and can be applied worldwide. Plato believes that education is necessary for the rulers of cities to be effective and that it is the only way to truly understand and achieve the goal of providing and looking out for the citizens of any state. One of the reasons Plato finds education such a necessity and regards it so highly is that it is required to even understand the concept of true justice and being able to distinguish it from injustice . Now although the major point of this book is to establish a meaning for justice, he believes that education is key and it is clear that all the people he associates with in the story are well-educated high members of society. Having knowledge on this subject and many others will allow those that eventually become guardians to tell when something is not just or is at least not beneficial for the well-being of the citizens. Education is also a major factor in understanding the soul and theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Comparing the Republic to the Modern Society831 Words   |  4 Pagesrelevance of The Republic to our modern society In Plato’s The Republic, Plato illustrates what his ideal city would look like. He describes the educational systems, ideal legislators and the purposes of democracy. The republic influenced many people to understand the purpose for democracy, and it led to new philosophical schools of thought. Although this work was written hundreds of years ago, it still affects our modern world today. One of the most important things that Plato stresses is theRead MorePlato s Thoughts On The Ideal Self And Government1686 Words   |  7 PagesCulture I Dr. Simpson Dr. Crow April 8th, 2016 â€Æ' Written in 360BC, the Republic has become Plato’s most famous piece of dialogue. Plato connects the concept of justice to happiness in a variety of fields. Understanding that virtue goes beyond reason we can understand that whilst you can know what is good, you don’t always act good. Through specific ideals of politics intertwined into his analogy of the human soul, Plato explains the ideal government with respect to the nature of a just societyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Republic And George Orwell s 1984 Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesPLS 325 Ancient Political Theory Dr. Shu-Shan Lee First term paper Sagynysh Yeltayeva 25/10/2015 Plato’s â€Å"Republic† and George Orwell’s â€Å"1984†: two sides of one medal Plato’s â€Å"Republic† and Orwell’s â€Å"1984† represent two imaginary engineered societies. â€Å"Republic† is an utopia, in which Plato describes the goal of the city, which is to be as happy as possible, even if it requires a sacrifice of a particular group’s happiness or individual’s one . Orwell’s â€Å"1984† influenced by the outcome of the WorldRead MoreThe Central Tension Within The Republic Of Plato990 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom The Republic of Plato, the central tension within the book is identifying the ideal form of guiding individuals either through a persuasive or compulsive path of becoming complete guardians. Through persuasion, those qualified to rule, similar to Adeimantus and Glaucon, are more adequately educated to lead a city than through compulsion. Within this essay, the defining important principle of persuasion that will be explained are listening, exhortation and dialectic. By examining Plato s understandingRead MorePlato s View On Justice And Human Nature991 Words   |  4 Pageswithin The Republic and Laws on what approach to take. This essay will analyse the possible implications of this on the question of what constitutes an ideal or best state, analyse Plato’s view on justice and human nature, and finally contrast Plato with modern thinkers’ views on the role of conflict within a state. Plato’s Ideal Theory on Conflict To Plato, the soul consists of three parts, of which the rational part is in an eternal struggle to moderate the other two. Likewise, Plato sees theRead MoreEducation: Keeping the Republic Together Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesEducation: Keeping the Republic Together Our world today puts huge amounts of emphasis on education, specifically in order to get a better job, make more money or take enjoyment in what we do. We see a similar importance placed on education in Socrates’ make believe city, as described in Plato’s Republic. However, Socrates has made it clear that this education is not for personal betterment or gain, but rather for the common good. Socrates has created his Republic with education of its citizensRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Platos The Republic and Thomas Mores Utopia590 Words   |  3 PagesThomas More and Plato create their ideal Utopia. A utopia is described as a perfect world. Thomas Moore and Plato have different mentalities when it comes to the selection of an individual’s occupation. Thomas Moore focuses on a Utopia were the work force is strictly determined by the society’s needs while Plato believes that each individual should perform the task that best fits with his or her natural ability. Thomas Mores Utopia has more of a community sense. People are forced to believe thatRead MorePlato s Dialogue, Republic, And The Claims Of The Modern World1556 Words   |  7 Pagesonly to fail or not provide universal answers or solutions. However, there are others who see the importance of philosophers and how they have become to understand aspects of life and human nature before anyone else; Plato is a person who sides with the argument that philosophers play an important role in society. In Plato’s dialogue, Republic, he attempts to discover justice and to convey the importance philosophers possess in ensuring a just society. The main argument that will be addressed in thisRead MoreGodly Education Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pagesprecious and pleasant riches.† Proverbs 24:3, 4 Education is vital in life. If we did not have education, no one would be able to do anything challenging with his or her minds, unless trained by experience. This is what Plato knew thousands of years ago. He knew education produced a balance and harmony of character. This education model is not seen in public education, except in the classical model, which borrowed many of his concepts. This kind of education, however, sought to bring out political menRead MorePlato, in the â€Å"Republic â€Å", ambitiously sets out to prove that art imitates reality by distracting900 Words   |  4 PagesPlato, in the â€Å"Republic â€Å", ambitiously sets out to prove that art imitates reality by distracting us from the truth and appeals to socially destructive emotions. He continued his statement by referring that art provides no real knowledge, and that it undermines personal and social well being. In this paper, I will argue that Plato makes an invalid implicit assumption that the repre sentation of life through arts is dangerous and doesn’t define the truth since it uses imitation. I will demonstrate

The Medicine Wheel (Lakota Sioux) Free Essays

Symbols, such as the medicine wheel, are common among Sioux Indians, especially the Lakota Sioux. The Lakota Sioux believed each section of the medicine wheel had some spiritual significance. To them, the medicine wheel represents enlightenment, growth, strength and knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on The Medicine Wheel (Lakota Sioux) or any similar topic only for you Order Now Each color on the medicine wheel signifies a different season and lifestyle. Inside the circle is a cross shape. The cross symbolizes the four directions, and also the Four Lakota Virtues. The shape of the wheel represents the never ending circle of life and death. It means the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and End, and to the Lakota Sioux, represents unity in the Great Spirit. One of the four sacred colors found on the medicine wheel is red. It is located at the top left hand side of the four corners. Red symbolizes several things, including north; this (north) symbolizes the passing of the ancient and ancestors. â€Å"North brings cold harsh winds of the winter season† ( ). This cleansing wind causes the leaves to fall and buries the earth underneath a blanket of snow. Lakota Sioux believed â€Å".. If someone had the ability to face these harsh winds, like the buffalo, they have learned patience and endurance† ( ). The element of the North is Air. Air is movement and†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ freedom – the clearing of thoughts and the carrier that allows us to manifest our dreams† ( ). Air represents the mind. The color red and that section of the wheel also symbolize wisdom. They believed wisdom to be of one of the best qualities, and is usually met in or after death. Red also represents the last part of the lie cycle: afterlife White is the second of the four sacred colors found on the medicine wheel of the Lakota Sioux. It is located at the bottom left corner on the medicine wheel. â€Å"White stands for youth and friendship† ( ). It represents the south. This direction is for warmth and growth since the sun is at its highest peak in the southern sky. â€Å"The sun’s rays are powerful in drawing life from the earth† ( ). The Lakota Sioux believed life of all things come from the south, so this section also represents the second phase of the llie cycle. † The South is where our journey through life begins – with the knowing of self† ( ) Yellow is the third of all the sacred colors found on the medicine wheel. Yellow signifies the east where the sun rises. This brings us the energy of adventure. The Lakota Sioux believed this to symbolize family and newborns. This is also the beginning of a new day and a new understanding of life and people. â€Å"On a deeper level, east stands for the wisdom in helping people live good lives† ( ). This section is located at the bottom right corner of the medicine wheel. The element of the East is Fire. Fire is the radiant energy of transformation. Fire contains the great power of expansion† ( ). They believed this section of life is to help us find innocence and purity. It is a great path among the rode to spirituality. Black is the last color section in the medicine wheel. It is located in the top left hand corner. Black signifies the west, where the sun sets and the day ends. The color is black, not in nothingness, â€Å".. but the black of â€Å"all things†Ã¢â‚¬ ( ). It is the color of mystery and of the unconscious. The Lakota Sioux believed the west the be the source of all water, so this section is vital. The great thunderbird lives in the west and sends thunder and rain from this direction† ( ). Back represents solitude, reflection and growing old. The direction of South was our beginning of knowing who the â€Å"self† is. â€Å"The direction of the West deepens this knowing through dreams and visions of the future† ( ). They believed the element of the West is earth. Earth is passive, receptive and nurturing. A deep connection with earth is needed to bring ourselves into balance with Universe. Black is the second to last part of the life cycle: death. How to cite The Medicine Wheel (Lakota Sioux), Papers

Philosophical Critique of the Contemporary Human Sciences

Question: Describe about the Philosophical Critique of the Contemporary Human Sciences. Answer: Personal Philosophy Teaching can be conducted in various manner and different teachers have different manner of teaching. Thus, the philosophy of teaching includes your personal conception in relation to teaching. The manner of teaching is very important for teaching to be fruitful and genuinely impart knowledge. As a teacher, I follow the principles of Realism in my teaching. Realism in relation to teaching refers to teaching logic and critical thinking along with scientific methods to students which can make students to understand reality in a better way and learn the manner in which one should adapt to various situations (Bhaskar, 2014). School and college experience In my experience of teaching in a college, I had experienced many students facing great difficult with various issues in life and I felt that it was very difficult for some of them to adjust with complex situations. Thus, I felt that teaching the students the principles of realism helped them adjust and adapt to many crisis they faced at a young age. Additionally the philosophy of behaviorism helped me understand their mental state which made me realize the philosophy of realism can be helpful in teaching college students. Behaviorism suggests that the physical and verbal behavior of an individual helps to understand his internal state of mind. Thus, behaviorism can help in teaching immensely which can help teachers to handle each student individually judging their behavior (Staddon, 2014). Personal view Thus, I believe that teaching syllabus is not always enough and as a teacher you need to make your students learn to be practical which can be achieved by following the philosophies of realism and behaviorism. Reference List Bhaskar, R. (2014).The possibility of naturalism: A philosophical critique of the contemporary human sciences. Routledge. Staddon, J. (2014).The new behaviorism. Psychology Press.

Lord Of The Flies Essays (455 words) - English-language Films

Lord Of The Flies William Golding Why and how Golding wrote the Lord of Flies? Golding moved to London to be a social worker so he knows how kids act without any supervision. He also became a teacher and knows how kids act when they are together for a long time. Golding joined the Royal Navy and he also served on a cruiser. That gave him some knowledge about war and maybe some nuclear war. At the end of his career com7anded a rocket launching He saw action against battleships, submarines, and aircraft. He was in the D-Day invasion on Germany. Golding active participation in world war two influence on the novel The Lord of Flies. Bibliography Plot In the story it best explains that there was a nuclear war going on. There was a plane in flying out of the nuclear war and crashed and the pilot dies but most of the children survive. First some boys find each other they names are Ralph and Piggy. When Ralph and Piggy find a conch and piggy tells Ralph to blow in it and the kids will hear it and come to see what it is. They find several other kids and determine who the leader is going to be. Some of the main characters in the story are Simon, Jack, Littuns, and the Bigguns. Everyone votes for Ralph to be the leader and Jack to be the hunter. Ralph decides to build a big fire so that a passing ship will see it but the fire gets out of control and the little boys that was complaining about a monster ends up missing. William Golding Why and how Golding wrote the Lord of Flies? Golding moved to London to be a social worker so he knows how kids act without any supervision. He also became a teacher and knows how kids act when they are together for a long time. Golding joined the Royal Navy and he also served on a cruiser. That gave him some knowledge about war and maybe some nuclear war. At the end of his career com7anded a rocket launching He saw action against battleships, submarines, and aircraft. He was in the D-Day invasion on Germany. Golding active participation in world war two influence on the novel The Lord of Flies. Then Simon and Eric tell Jack that there is a beast on the Island and that they should go kill it. Everyone goes crazy and decides to hunt the pig. The hunters kill Simon because they thought he was the pig. Jack kills Piggy by pushing him off a cliff. Piggy was only trying to get his glasses back. Ralph escapes death from Jack and runs to the navel officer. Book Reports

Free Essays on Aztec Nation

A distant sound is heard. It sounds like a deep drum being hit with a heavy instrument. You hear it again and strain your eyes in the direction of the sound. All around you is dense jungle. Snakes slither between your legs. You hear the sound once again. In front of you is a dense stand of ferns. You part them and look down into a wide open valley. The valley gets so wide and it is so green that it takes your breath away. But that is not what you are looking at. You are staring at a huge city with glittering buildings shining in the spring sunlight. Smoke rises up from some of the many houses. You can see and hear children playing in the wide open fields in front of the shining buildings. Lamas and chickens are being bought and sold. You see bags of gold jewelry being bought and sold. Beyond the market place you can watch a religious ceremony. You hear the scream of a person being sacrificed to one of the gods. Beyond the city there are roads made of stone and canals full of pedestrians and canos. Who are these people and what are they doing here you wonder? The above paragraph describes what an early explorer in Mexico might have seen between 1400 and 1500 AD. The Aztec nation is one of the largest and most advanced Indian nations to ever exist on earth. Just about every part of the Aztec life was advance to such a state that at that time of the world the people were living better than many European nations. The Aztec nation is unique in its history, economy, environment, and way of life then any other nation at that time. Perhaps three to four thousand years ago, small bands of hunting-gathering peoples made their way across the land bridge that was the frozen Bering Strait, migrated southward through what is now Alaska, Canada, the United States, Central America, South America, and Mexico, settling along the way. One such hunting- gathering group settled in the Central Valley of what is now Mexico (Nichol... Free Essays on Aztec Nation Free Essays on Aztec Nation A distant sound is heard. It sounds like a deep drum being hit with a heavy instrument. You hear it again and strain your eyes in the direction of the sound. All around you is dense jungle. Snakes slither between your legs. You hear the sound once again. In front of you is a dense stand of ferns. You part them and look down into a wide open valley. The valley gets so wide and it is so green that it takes your breath away. But that is not what you are looking at. You are staring at a huge city with glittering buildings shining in the spring sunlight. Smoke rises up from some of the many houses. You can see and hear children playing in the wide open fields in front of the shining buildings. Lamas and chickens are being bought and sold. You see bags of gold jewelry being bought and sold. Beyond the market place you can watch a religious ceremony. You hear the scream of a person being sacrificed to one of the gods. Beyond the city there are roads made of stone and canals full of pedestrians and canos. Who are these people and what are they doing here you wonder? The above paragraph describes what an early explorer in Mexico might have seen between 1400 and 1500 AD. The Aztec nation is one of the largest and most advanced Indian nations to ever exist on earth. Just about every part of the Aztec life was advance to such a state that at that time of the world the people were living better than many European nations. The Aztec nation is unique in its history, economy, environment, and way of life then any other nation at that time. Perhaps three to four thousand years ago, small bands of hunting-gathering peoples made their way across the land bridge that was the frozen Bering Strait, migrated southward through what is now Alaska, Canada, the United States, Central America, South America, and Mexico, settling along the way. One such hunting- gathering group settled in the Central Valley of what is now Mexico (Nichol...

7 Types of Euphemism

7 Types of Euphemism 7 Types of Euphemism 7 Types of Euphemism By Mark Nichol Euphemisms, words or phrases that substitute for provocative or emotionally charged terms, are employed for various reasons: 1. Abstraction: Some euphemisms serve to distance people from unpleasant or embarrassing truths, as when we say that a dead person passed away or a celebrity who has canceled an appearance is suffering from exhaustion. 2. Indirection: A euphemism may replace an explicit description of an action, as when people speak of going to the bathroom or of others sleeping together. 3. Litotes: Sometimes, euphemism occurs in the form of this rhetorical device in which the gravity or force of an idea is softened or minimized by a double negative, as in the reference to someone as being not unattractive. 4. Mispronunciation: Alteration of pronunciation is a form of euphemism, as when we say frigging or shoot, or jeez or cripes, so as not to offend people by using profanity (figurative or literal). These types of euphemisms, involving rhyme, alliteration, or shortening, are also called minced oaths. 5. Modification: A bluntly offensive noun can be transformed into a euphemism by converting it to an adjective, as in saying someone has socialist leanings rather than labeling them a socialist outright. 6. Personification: One form of euphemism is when things that some people prefer not to mention candidly, such as genitals, are assigned personal names. (I will go beyond euphemism and let readers think of examples on their own.) 7. Slang: Much of slang, derived to produce a vocabulary exclusive to a social group, is euphemism, as in the use of joint for marijuana (itself a slang term, derived from the Spanish names Mary and Juana closely related to â€Å"Mary Jane,† yet another euphemism). Corporations and government bureaucracies, including military services, are masters are creating euphemisms of abstraction and indirection such as pre-owned for used, effluent for pollution, and â€Å"collateral damage† in place of â€Å"accidental killing.† Euphemism is also often employed in an attempt to make polite reference to physical or psychological disability, though some people argue that while a trend toward ever more euphemistic language seems to accord people so labeled more respect, euphemism can also diminish the public perception of the seriousness of the condition. Not all euphemism is deplorable, but much of it is, and writers and editors must search their consciences and uphold their principles in deciding whether to couch terms or whether to use straightforward language. Although an increased likelihood of euphemism seems to correlate with the extent of distribution of a publication, it is also often true that the more widespread the readership of a publication, the safer it is for those who produce its content to be blunt and honest. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative Conflict15 Great Word Games25 Favorite Portmanteau Words

Any evaluative article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Any evaluative - Article Example Furthermore, Peter Travers identifies the source of this movie, and it emanates from a classic novel by James Fenimore Copper (Travers, 1). Peter Travers also identifies the plot of this movie, and he begins by identifying the alliances between whites and the native Indians. In identifying the plot of this movie, Peter Travers explains the siege of the Fort William Henry, and also the ambush of Huron. Furthermore, Peter Travers identifies the excellent work of the director of this movie, Michael Mann. This is by explaining that he managed to depict a clear relationship that existed between the Indians and whites (Travers, 5). Furthermore, through this review, Travers identifies the various themes depicted in the movie, and mostly the theme of violence. He begins to depict the theme of violence through the action of Daniel Day Lewis, when his fires his rifle, and identifying the ambush of Huron, and the siege of Fort William Henry. Travers has also managed to effectively identify the roles played by leading actors, such as Huron, which is played by Wes Studi, Hawkeye, which is played by Daniel Day Lewis, Chingachgook, Uncas which is played by Eric Schweig (Travers, 7). Based on these facts therefore, Peter Travers manages to perform this evaluation, focusing on the themes, role of characters and directors of the movie, and plot of the movie. The overall impression that Peter Travers has regarding this movie is that it is a perfect piece of motion

Toulmin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toulmin - Essay Example The youngsters are getting more and more involved in the negative activities of bullying and negative social behaviors at school and offices. These attitudes can be observed since the period of early childhood and it all significantly depends upon the exposure to the media programs that promote violence. Nonetheless, every means of media does not participate in enhancing such attitude but the content which includes violence is notably promoted through movies. Human beings have a mental capability to have continuous learning and their personalities are known to be impacted from the content that they see and read on a regular basis (Escobar-Chaves and Anderson 147). There are however, two schools of thought that are having an argument about presence of violence in media. The first one tends to establish that the promotion of violence is aggravating inhumane behaviors in the society and the other one argues that violence in movies helps the community to know about the current negative b ehaviors in the societies and therefore, provide food of thought for intellects and policy makers that have to develop interventions to manage the problem. Previous researches depicted the fact that media has a significant correlation with behavior alteration. It is not only stated that media causes bad behavior to increase and people also conceive themselves to follow the demonstrated behaviors on the big-screen.. There has been a number of empirical researches and surveys which have effectively explored the extent to that media promotes bad behaviors in the community (Huesmann and Taylor 393) Media content nowadays is intended for mature audience but due to insignificant control, children have been known to expose to an inappropriate material and it causes behavioral disequilibrium and confusion. Media is taken as a threat to public health and if violence is being frequently transmitted without any prominent control method then, the condition will worsen and that is for sure. Medi a has an impact over the people of every age but in the case of children, it works faster and in a deeper sense. The content may include television shows, video games and movies. According to some recent studies, it has been found that news media also significantly impacts the behaviors of the people (Escobar-Chaves and Anderson 149). There are two groups with divergent views about the featured problem. One is in favor of the stance that media has significant impact over the public behavior and it is promoting violence while other claims that media has been a source for highlighting social problems and therefore, making a positive contribution towards the community. However, researches have been working with both the statements. According to a general view, media has adverse affects over the audience in many regards, for instance, the younger viewers, who watch television 2 hours on an average without any control, suffer from many disorders such as school absenteeism, sleeping disor ders, underage sexual relationships and bullying the colleagues at educational institutions (Carnagey and Anderson et al. 178). Alternative views suggest that this is the problem with viewer’s age limit because the content was not intended for underage. The video games on the other hand, are intended for the kids and these are full of violent activities. Children imitate the activities and stunts which are performed by the heroes of the games and movies which may cause harm as well. Another

China today Essay Example for Free

China today Essay China today would not miss the inquisitive recognition of an observative eye. Ranging from the political, economical and social, China has moved from some of its early concepts, thoughts, philosophies and forms of ruling. Today, much more influence from the outside world has had major impact on the outlook of the modern Chinese people and their culture. To talk about China without reflecting about their ancient culture and the dynasties would be to do a great injustice to the Chinese people. Although, the concern of this essay is to look at individualism, thus it would be not possible not to generally mention the emperors ruling and the culture which has dominated China since 221 BCE. The Chinese society was largely an agricultural settled society that was propagated by the Confucius thought. Many of those who have written the history of China have at instances tried to compartmentalize it into culture, politics and society. This loses the value of their study since being a Chinese before the eighteenth and nineteenth century involved culturalism as opposed to nationalism. These are a people who largely had a shared identity and collective rituals. Confucius ideas, self development, among others and negative attitude to profit making had an impact and an expression of individualism. Culturalism impeded the growth of the state because it emphasized on ones ties to the family, region or city. In other words China was fragile due to ethnic nationalism which made it a very unstable state especially under the poke of other countries. The ethnic nationalism was responsible for the revolution of the 1911 because of anti Manchurian Han oriented ideas that they, Manchuria courts were not in a position to defend the Chinese people. It is at the twentieth century that China was faced by threats from Western and Japanese capitalism and imperialism. Therefore it had to define its position on the national stage and set itself a much a country to be consulted in matters of the world (Wang, pp ix 211). The importance of the individualistic view in the Confucianism tradition helped to set China in preparation of later developments and changing realities that could not allow it to retain the empire style. Thus, it is by the negation of Confucius ideas that led to the rise of new culture thus the birth of state nationalism. Closely following this era is the period of Chairman Mao who was an ardent socialist. During his time era, from 1949 it was considered behaving like a bourgeoisie when one showed interests in self. China was a collectivist state that suppressed the individual desires advocating for the society’s plight. The changes in China today are as a result of the government outlook reforms of the 1980’s. Mostly the youth in China mirror more of the Western culture more than the older generation thus sometimes causing conflict between the two groups. The Western culture has brought individualistic thought and perspectives that even in education politics and all other parts of the society reflect an outlook of self. In education as an example most the parents are urging the sons and daughters to pursue high paying courses for the sole purpose of personal better placement. Post Mao China has overcome the collective notions of the society to emphasis on individualism. No longer will you see workers donning the same color or style clothes (Robert, para 8, 9 10). The fact that the modern Chinese society was formed on the foundations of the West does not mean that the Confucius thought completely was exterminated. The power of the community is still in force as Wei-ming Tu puts it, that there is group solidarity which is involved decision making through consensus can d conflict resolutions. There is no distinction between personal and public lives of the people. The classical outlook of the family by the Confucius thought still forms as the major connection of politics education capitalism and social lives. This has the implications of a sense of duty responsibility obligation relationship independence and autonomy. Thus, in the wake of being the best person through self respect and dignity such a person does not fall short of having the role of taking care of his fellow neighbor family community state and the state. This is seen as the modern psychological approach to the new China in the fact that if one is found falling less of this, then you loose your place in the public hence a sense of personal guilt. It is therefore evident that the Chinese value collective individualistic aspects for the betterment of the society (Tu, pp 7, 8, 9 10). Bibliography: Robert L. , M. Ethnology: Generation KU: individualism and Chinas millennial youth, 22nd September 2005. Retrieved from http://goliath. ecnext. com/coms2/gi_0199-5616321/Generation-KU-individualism-and-China. html#readmore on 25th April 2009 Tu, W. Confucian Traditions in East Asian Modernity: Moral Education and Economic Culture in Japan and the Four Mini-Dragons. ISBN 0674160878, 9780674160873, Harvard University Press, 1996. Wang, K. Modern China: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism. ISBN 0815307209, 9780815307204, Published by Taylor Francis, 1998.

Physics of Mining Essay -- physics mining miner

Mining is a necessary component of the world we live in and it has been practiced for thousands of years. The mining industry produces billions of tons of raw product every year. The process of mining is very complicated and involves plenty of physics! Two main components of the mine cycle are: Drilling, and Blasting. Some important factors in mining are the pillars, rock elasticity, and the slope stability of the ground being mined. A basic method for destroying rock is mechanically induced stress, such as drills and erosion jets. A turbine drill for example, uses a turbine to rotate a diamond faced cutter wheel. The power output, p, can be calculated using the equation p=2 Ï€NT where N is the rotational speed of the turbine and T is the torque on the cutter wheel. As the rotary speed increases, the torque decreases. The maximum power output of a turbine drill is when the rotary speed is between 5,000 and 10,000 rev/min. Erosion jets can be classified as low speed or high speed. The low speed jets use abrasive particles, such as sand to erode rock at 10 to 200 m/s and the high speed jets use water at 200 to 1,000 m/s. The high speed jets are used for the hardest rock and require pressures up to 5,000 kg/cm ²! In underground, non coal mining, the excavation of rock is done largely by conventional percussive drills. These break the rock by indentation. The drilling machine applies a force to the drill bit, giving it a velocity which hits the rock and causes it to break. The equation for the peak stress induced by the drill bit on the rock is as follows: ÏÆ' = Ï  cv, where ÏÆ' is the maximum stress induced, and Ï , c, and v are the density, compressional wave length, and velocity of the drill bit, respectively. In coal mining, ... ... Now there is an added force from the water called pore pressure and the normal force is decreased making the slope more likely to fail. The following diagram represents this scenario with 'W' as the gravitational force downward of the upper rock, 'p' as the pore pressure from the water, and 'A' as the area that the water affects. Mines are erected by pillars, which have factors of safety. The factor of safety is the average strength divided by the average stress ratio. When this ration falls below 1.00, there is pillar instability. If one pillar in a mine collapses, the result is greater force acting on the rest which in turn increases their stress and decreases their factors of safety. If all of the pillars are highly stressed, one pillar failure could lead to a domino effect and the collapse of a mine. 1.60 is considered a good factor of safety for pillars.

Psychological Survival †Cohen and Taylor Essay

1) Aim of the study Obtain a phenomenological picture of long term imprisonment i.e. the analysis of the every day life of long term prisoners. The smooth patterning of every day life is the result of social interactions and learning about routines and the different domains of life. But some situations are outside the routines (death, sense of self or world view threatened). Disturbed orderliness brings meaning of life into question and often individuals rely on a different domain. Long term prisoners cannot do this. Theirs is a life in cold storage. Psychologically hard to deal with life outside. Some people go in when 20 and don’t leave before they’re 40, so a lot has gone on in everyday life and they’ve missed it. 2) Cohen and Taylor not really interested in the crime committed and the moral issues behind it. They are just interested in how prison affects this group of people. Society has been taken away from these people. Some of the people are well known, but they put aside what these people have been convicted on, they just want to know about their psychological survival. 3) Life inside Metaphor of a submarine: Impregnability, empty, claustrophobic, lifeless, bland no natural light, TV cameras. Things we take for granted in normal life, sociability and privacy, are not there. Not many friends you can have or choose to have. Relationships between guards and prisoners, maybe from a similar social backgrounds, have a lot to talk about. In the E-wing case there was a very pronounced geographical divide, north and south. Prisoners have a public profile outside, quite famous and it sets them aside from the guards. A sense of celebrity in some of the prisoners. This creates a division between guards and prisoners. New power dynamic. Not only hard to create and maintain relationships inside hard to do so with the external world. The prisoners were more worried about getting letters rather than receiving them. No physical contact, e.g. members of your family. Not allowed to talk about conditions in the prison maybe that is why they wanted to get their stories heard with Cohen and Taylor. Isolating experience. 5) different people fulfil different social roles. Obviously there was a small pool in prison. One friend had to fulfil many different roles, which made friendship very strong and intense. Some people were moved constantly and losing your one friend can be traumatic. Intensity of relationships and falling out, which will have an impact on the group and on you. No privacy no time. Can’t develop intimacy with other people. Constantly surrounded by others. Interactions regulated within the group to make sure nobody got harmed. 6) time means different things. For us it’s a resource. Living the present they don’t face or think of the 20 years ahead. Marking time in different ways: mood, seasons, unusual markers. Make time pass faster: body building, university courses, etc. promise of a visit. 8 weeks visit for e.g. 7) deterioration obsessive concern about their physical and psychological condition. 8) history of riots, rebellions and security. Cohen and Taylor interested in solidarity. The resentment towards guards held the group together, helped with bonding. Fight back together. 9) authority and unity different situations lead to different types of solidarity 10) fighting back 11) different criminal careers lead to different ways of psychological survival. Notes from a lecture and seminar on Psychological Survival.

The Roller Skating Rink

The Roller Skating Rink Adolescents like to have a place they can call their own. In the 80’s and early 90’s, teenagers would hang out at the mall, the arcade, or many other spots. When I was a little girl, growing up in a small town, meant you had to travel to the city next door in order to find your weekend excitement. Usually that would be roller skating with your friends at â€Å"Skate World†, while listening to the favorite group of the month. Having never done this as a child, my sister decided one afternoon that she would take me roller skating. I was amazed to find a little world filled with life blooming on a 70 X 160-ft cement slab known as a roller skating rink. As soon as we entered the building which housed the rink, the warm, nostalgia scent of popcorn hit that part of my brain where dusty cobwebbed memories live, memories of my own childhood. We made our way past a group of exuberant teenagers at the snack bar until we reached the skating rink. Skinny, hard benches, made for small butts, lined one wall. We took a seat and scanned the rink. My eyes paused to read a sign; white, block letters on a black background warned, â€Å"Skate At Your Own Risk. As my sister smiled back at me, I paused for a minute and thought, what have I gotten myself into. Meanwhile, two young men swaggered past us: confident, heads held high, eyes focused on their destination. I leaned over, looking down the long row of benches, curious to find out where they were going. Their confidence lagged a bit as they approached a large group of their peers, including several young ladies. All of them exhibited signs of discomfort as the girls crossed their arms over their mature bodies and the boys tried hard not to stare. Suddenly a silent signal sent the entire group to the benches. Pairs of nimble hands laced up skates as quickly as possible, while other hands aided in conversation that only the listener was allowed to hear. I was struck by the intimacy of this scene. They all knew each other well. They had come together in the freedom of this one place to share and explore without the encumbrance of parents, teachers, or any other adult. I sat bolt upright, feeling very uncomfortable as I realized how much I really didn’t fit in. Then as I attempted to recover from my embarrassment, I was suddenly startled by a noise†¦music, perhaps? It must have been music, because I glanced down to find my foot tapping away to a beat long forgotten. Then as if on cue, people from every corner of the room flocked to the rink. The awkwardness their bodies had expressed off the rink had been replaced by a grace not unlike a baby bird. They were clumsy in their approach to flight, but once airborne, they were a soaring sight to behold. After carefully watching, I was mesmerized by the effortlessness of their movements, weaving in and out, endlessly circling. Skates became a blur of color: green, purple, blue, pink, and red–speeding by fast and furious. I felt the rush of wind on my face as I caught the musky scent of cologne mixed with sweat. A swirl of communication was taking place, none of it involving speech. The tactile sense had kicked in: punching and shoving of young lions trying to impress their ladies of choice, bodies brushing by each other, and the gentle touch of hand on arm. A statuesque blond, six inches taller than her partner, slipped. â€Å"Catch me, I’m falling on purpose,† her body language seemed to say. Eye contact was prevalent. Most skaters continually scanned the rink, found the one they were looking for and BAM!!! eyes quickly darted away. This testing of emotional waters went of for several hours; boys and girls trying on relationships of men and women like kids playing dress up in their parents’ clothes. At last, I remembered the sign, â€Å"Skate At Your Own Risk. † At the time, I had worried about broken arms and legs, but as I watched the dance unfold on that skating rink, I realized that these young people risk so much more. The pain and rejection, the fear of making fools of themselves, and the devastation they feel when they believe that they have; makes life for these teenagers a risky business. Perhaps the sign should have read, â€Å"Live At Your Own Risk. †

Neocolonialism and Global South

Neocolonialism and Global South The term neocolonialism was coined by Kwame Nkrumah, a former President of Ghana to explain the political, social and economic control which can be propagated culturally, linguistically and economically.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Neocolonialism and Global South specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The overall objective of the control is to enhance and promote the culture of the neocolonialist state(s) among the citizens of the targeted countries so as to get access to markets, labor and raw materials for corporations based in the neocolonialist state(s). The key pillars of neocolonialism therefore include globalization, capitalism and imperialism. Neocolonialism is contrasted with colonialism, which implies direct military and political control of one state by another in a rulers include the fight against poverty, HIV/AIDS and advocacy for democracy instead of dictatorship or authoritarianism as well as sa feguarding of human rights. Realism theory This is a state centered international relations theory which looks at states as the key actors in international politics. The theory is based on the works of historical writers such as Rousseau, Machiavelli and Thucydides (Edkins and Vaughan-Williams 43). The main argument of realism is that international relations are characterized by anarchy, in which nations interact for their selfish interests. Realism therefore negates the mutual understanding of nations in their relations and puts more emphasis on the struggle of nations to amass as much resources as possible in order to advance their own interests. With realism, economic success is the leading interest in international relations. The US and its allies are known to promote democracy in many parts of Africa. However, a critical look at the issue shows that in most cases, the US is only interested in having democratic leaders who can help it gain access to markets and raw materials. Le aders who are not ready to cooperate are labeled as criminals, terrorists and unfit to hold office. Such leaders and their countries are eventually slapped with economic sanctions and are also isolated by the international community. A good example is Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe whose country has been isolated by the international community. Globalization and neocolonialism Globalization can be defined as the minimization of the differences between people of the world and the maximization of their similarities through interactions, cooperation and communication.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Neocolonialism and Global South specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before the world wars, the world was characterized by minimal interaction, communication, cross-border movements and language homogeneity. However, after the world wars, this situation changed. The changes were mainly triggered by the desire of nations of the world to unite in various spheres of development, mainly the economy, education, employment, environment and governance. The main driving forces of globalization were however the advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), improved transport systems, liberalized trade as well as liberalized immigration policies. Globalization has made it possible for any person to work, study, marry and stay in any part of the world irrespective of his or her culture. After the world wars, a new form of globalization emerged. This was triggered by the new desire to unite the world through the three main development pillars, namely social, political and economic pillars. Many states thought that the world wars were mainly caused by poor interaction between the nations, arguing that many countries did not care harming others as a result of the old economic philosophy which pegged development on elimination of rivals rather than the cooperation between stakeholders. The contempor ary form of globalization is characterized by the liberalization of trade, the emergence of multinational corporations as well as emergence of global institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other UN affiliated institutions. The advancement in ICT has transformed the world into a global village. Through ICT and improved means of transport, people are more than ever able to do business with each other without any form of barriers. The developed countries have been in the forefront in propagating the idea of globalization. These countries led by the US usually view the developing countries as their imperial territories. They always ensure that there are in place rules and regulations governing the economic, social and political endeavors of the developing countries (Gills and Thompson 175).Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They know that with a global culture in place, they are able to remain ahead by using resources from the developing and the undeveloped countries for their economic, social and political progress (Baylis, Smith and Owens 90). The developing countries are known as the markets of the western culture. Culture in this context is taken to mean business, educational, political and governance ideas. Many developing countries in Africa are known to have embraced what is referred to as export based agriculture at the expense of subsistence agriculture. This has led to recurrent food shortages in many developing countries (Buckman 42). The trend began in early 1980s through what were referred to as Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPS), which required countries in Africa and Asia to embrace economic development at the expense of social and political development (Kelsey 95). This led to the ever rising levels of poverty and population growth rates in the developing world, forcing them to compl y with the policies of the new world order for the fear of economic and political sanctions from the developed countries (Konadu-Agyemang 219). The undeveloped countries are those which have high poverty levels and illiteracy. Most of these countries are found in Africa and are described as living in the wrong civilization or being uncivilized. These countries are the best dumping sites for western culture. Most of the undeveloped countries are characterized by poor governance, ethnic strife and lack of basic social amenities. Many analysts have however argued that the poverty and lack of infrastructure in the undeveloped countries can be attributed to the imperial nature of their relationships with their developed counterparts. Forms of Neocolonialism Colonialism was very popular during the 19th century when the British, the US and other western powers scrambled for resources for their industries in the developing and undeveloped countries. They used the ideas of religion and educa tion to penetrate and gain control over the countries especially in Africa where there were no formal governments and institutions. Some western powers even went ahead to use the Africans as slaves due to ignorance of the African people. With time, colonization was slowly brought to an end following the end of world wars. However, what the Africans and the developing countries did not know was that only flags of their countries changed. Some political analysts have described the independence of many African and Asian countries as â€Å"independence of the flag†, meaning that even though the countries are independent, they can only exercise that independence to the extent of self governance alone. What this means is that the countries are literally colonized but through ideas. It can therefore be argued that even though many developing countries were granted permission to govern themselves, their former colonies still maintained high economic, social and political dominance in their former colonies. One of the ways in which neocolonialism has been propagated is through what is referred to as the odious debt. This is a debt which is incurred when a loan is given to a poor country but fails to benefit the citizens due to corruption by the leaders. Such countries also lack a clear economic policy to regulate investment, taxation and foreign debt. The developed countries benefit from the debts because they charge high interest rates on the loans, which are not used for the economic progress of the poor countries but are misappropriated by the corrupt leaders. These dictators in return become loyal to the countries which give them the loans and thus the developed countries get an opportunity to exploit the markets, labor and raw materials of the developing countries. There are also double standards even on genuine loans when it comes to repayment. When a country like the US gives a loan to another country like Germany or France, the loan is repaid with very l ittle interest or even interest free. However, when the same loan is given to a developing country, it is repaid with interest which is three to five times higher than what France or Germany would pay. The aim is to ensure that the developing countries do not become economically independent. Neocolonialism is also propagated using international institutions like the IMF. This institution was formed with an aim of liberalizing the world’s economy to enable the developing countries get loans for their development (Kegley 46). However, the problem with the IMF is that it gives loans to the developing countries with strings attached. One example to illustrate this is Jamaica, which was given a loan by IMF in 1977 to reconstruct the economy which had disintegrated in 1970. However, the condition of the loan was that Jamaica was supposed to eliminate all labor laws and especially the law on minimum wage. This paved way for exploitation of the citizens by multinational corporations which underpaid the citizens of Jamaica. The idea of International Law and neocolonialism International law refers to the set of laws or principles which govern the relationships between sovereign states (Fichtelberg 76). It was initially formed to govern the manner in which nations related to each other with a view of improving their relationships in regard to specific issues. International law initially took the form of treaties and agreements between states, which were either bilateral or multilateral. The protection of human rights moved the international law to create the international criminal court to try the perpetrators of crimes against humanity. Since its formation, the court has investigated several perpetrators of crimes against humanity like Charles Taylor of Liberia, Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia and has issued a warrant of arrest against Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir for the chaos and atrocities in the Darfur region of the Sudan. However, the court has attract ed criticism from political analysts who have accused it of double standards in that it only targets the developing countries. The super powers of the world like the US, which refused to be a signatory to the Rome statute which formed the court, have never been subjected to the court’s jurisdictions despite the fact that they have committed crimes of aggression against other states like the Iraq invasion in 2003. My prescription on how the international community should deal with the issue of neocolonialism is for international institutions such as the UN and its affiliated institutions to ensure that the international law is followed to the letter. The UN in particular should seek to empower the developing and undeveloped countries with social, political and economic resources for them to resist any attempts of neocolonialism by the US and its allies. Bauer, Franziska, and Magdalena Holowinska. Colonialism and Neo-Colonialism. München GRIN: Verlag GmbH, 2009. Print. Bay lis, John, Steve Smith, ‎ and Patricia Owens‎. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Buckman, Greg. Globalization: Tame it or Scrap it? : Mapping the Alternatives of the Anti-Globalization Movement. London: Zed Books, 2004. Print. Edkins, Jenny, and Nick Vaughan-Williams. Critical Theorists in International Relations. London: Routledge, 2009. Print. Fichtelberg, Aaron. Law at the Vanishing Point: A Philosophical Analysis of International Law. Farnham GU9 7PT: Ashgate Publishing, 2005. Print. Gills, Barry, and William Thompson ‎. Globalization and Global History; Rethinking Globalizations. London: Routledge, 2006. Print. Kegley, Charles. World Politics: Trend and Transformation. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Kelsey, Jane. International economic regulation. Sheffield: Ashgate Publishers, 2002. Print. Konadu-Agyemang, Kwado. IMF and World Bank Sponsored Structural Adj ustment Programs in Africa: Ghanas Experience, 1983-1999.Voices in Development Management. Sheffield: Ashgate Publishers, 2001. Print. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Colonialism and Neocolonialism. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print.

Preondactylus - Facts and Figures

Preondactylus - Facts and Figures Name: Preondactylus (Greek for Preone finger, after the region in Italy where it was discovered); pronounced PRE-on-DACK-till-us Habitat: Shores of southern Europe Historical Period: Late Triassic (215-200 million years ago) Size and Weight: Wingspan of one to two feet and less than a pound Diet: Probably fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Long beak and tail; relatively small size About Preondactylus Gross-out alert: paleontologists have identified two fossils of Preondactylus, one normal and the other not so normal, and both hailing from Italys portion of the Alpian mountain chain. The normal fossil is an imprint of a nearly complete specimen, lacking only part of the head, encased in a 200-million-year-old slab of limestone. The not-so-normal fossil is a wadded-up ball of bones, as if a Preondactylus individual had been gobbled up a prehistoric trash compactor. As far as paleontologists can tell, this ball is what is known as a fish pellet: the unfortunate Preondactylus had been eaten whole by a prehistoric fish, which then vomited out the indigestible bits, including the bones! Now that that unpleasant detail is out of the way, what kind of creature was Preondactylus? Paleontologists have identified this long-tailed, narrow-beaked reptile as one of the most basal (i.e., earliest and least-evolved) pterosaurs in the fossil record, dating to late Triassic southern Europe. Preondactylus was closely related to other early pterosaurs like Rhamphorhynchus and Dorygnathus (hence its classification as a rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur, as opposed to the pterodactyloid pterosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era), and it probably made its living by plucking small fish out of the water (which would explain how that unfortunate individual wound up getting eaten by a fish itself).

Capitalism - cause of Global Economic Crisis Essay

Capitalism - cause of Global Economic Crisis - Essay Example Roubini has little doubts about the fact that capitalism is being doomed because the governments have failed to find out solutions to the problems caused by the system of market economy. The governments and policy makers took a number of different steps to bring the economy back on track but all policy measures taken to prevent the downfall of economic system failed one after the other. As the last resort the governments are trying to bring stability to the economy by cutting the expenditures however this will not be able to bring the economy back to track until new taxes are levied or the previous raised. Most of the countries that are following the principle of market economy have failed to restore the living standard of the public despite giving salary raises and subsidizing commodities because the effect of raised taxes is much higher as compared to the monetary assistances provided by the governments. Injecting more money into the failing economy in the form of bank bailouts is not an available option now for most of the countries because of the increasing political and public pressures because such measures are taken at the expense of public welfare expenditures which is totally unacceptable to the already suffering people, moreover another series of bank bailouts is also economically unfeasible. Currency depreciation is an option because a weaker currency and better trade balance can restore the economic growth but rendering the currencies weak is not an option for economically advanced countries therefore currency wars are currently in order. The Eurozone countries managed to help their cause a bit by the establishment of the European Financial Stabilization Facility but in the current circumstances the ESFS will not be able to pay bailouts for countries as big as Italy or Spain because of the limited assets whereas adding to the assets of ESFS is not possible because currently no country in Europe could sponsor such a move and this will receive resista nce from countries like Germany. In effect, the capitalist system of economy has stuck itself in a circle of self-destruction as suggested by Karl Marx where jobs are being cut because of the lack of demand in the market and this cutting of jobs is further adding to the lack of demand resulting in more job cuts and so on and this is the approach which has been adopted by the followers of the Keynesian system. The world currently is facing the problems which were predicted by the critics of capitalism hundreds of years ago such as poverty, unemployment, hopelessness, lack of basic facilities of life and the most important of all which can be considered as the root cause of these problems is the increasing inequality between people (Roubini, 2011). In the end Roubini suggests that there is a need of â€Å"investing in human capital, skills and social safety nets to increase productivity† and this can surely be the only possible solution to the present economic crisis. According to Roubini the present economic system based on market economy has essentially failed to provide effective solution the problems faced by man therefore a modified capitalist model is required to take over. Sen on the other hand gives prime stress to find out what exactly is the problem with the economic system of the present time and put forwards

Week 7 Hand-in Assignment 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 7 Hand-in Assignment 7 - Essay Example So RIAA began filing injunctions and lawsuits, including some highly publicized and notorious ones against individual users. By 2002, Napster had been absorbed by the pay service Rhapsody (King 2002). Lawyers could argue the legalities of Napster for years. A few subscribers successfully claimed the music was theirs and been legitimately purchased. So sharing the download was technically no different than letting your friends listen to your CD. Yet what about the true criminal enterprises that use peer to peer to ply their trade. Who and what are they? What challenge is it for forensics investigators to hunt them down and prosecute them for their offenses? Once again new technology brings new difficulties for the law officer. The â€Å"industry† that has used peer to peer most successfully since Napster is the pornographers. This particularly includes those in the profession who operate outside the law, specifically those who manufacture and sell child porn. The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) in its 2003 paper notes that 57% of all traffic on peer to peer networks involves child pornography and child erotica. They don’t attempt to hide it either. Using simple keywords (including the names of cartoon characters!), Customs agents were able to download over three hundred images. It is not only illegal but a concern that juveniles will have ready access to pornography whether they want to or not. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children likewise tracks such things and saw a 400% increase of peer to peer child porn in just one year (GAO 2003). Another criminal element utilizing peer to peer networks is terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. Stringent international efforts by countries putting their entire weight behind criminal investigations since 9/11 have caused the terrorists to go deeper underground. So peer to peer networks provide excellent

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Assignment Example Having majored in finance, I am looking forward to build my own business and apply my learned knowledge in my business. I am a hard working person who would like to excel in the real estate sector. In this document, I offer my statement for long-term career goal, personal development, vision, mission, professional development, self assessment, description of my business dreams, and strategic professional development. Direction-mission, vision, values In order to stay focused in realizing my personal and professional ambitions, I have taken time in preparing my goal statement. My strategic plan is to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in all my personal and professional endeavors. I am well informed that without a proper goal statement and strategic plan, success in personal life and work can not be realized. Goal statement helps in figuring out what companies or industries a person is interested in. A long-term goal statement help in figuring out what one needs to accomplish in thei r career. For my sake, I am focused on starting and developing my personal business. I have a vision of starting a personal business in real estate. In order to be successful in my business plans, I must focus on self evaluation and development planning to enhance my capacity in realizing my long-term goal. It is essential for each person to know what he/she want to do in order to attain success. Knowledge on the strategies and approaches of gaining success is also essential in personal and professional development. External environment The Location of my indented real estate business will be at San Francisco. This is a perfect location due to the overwhelming market of real estate business in the area. For me, the weather and business environment in San Francisco is favorable for my personal and professional development. I like the warm and humid atmosphere of San Francisco. The good geographical environment and climate will help productivity and quality of my work. This is both fo r personal development of mood as well as availability of market. The geographic location is very suitable for diverse employees. Internal environment Luckily for me, I am well aware of what I want to do. I am also well aware of how to attain success in my personal and professional endeavors. My interests are in real estate business. Being a major in Finance, I will be able to successfully manage my business firm. I am a very outgoing and hardworking person who will be able to relate well with other business partners, employees and customers of all levels. I am very outgoing and able to interact with people of all backgrounds in a humble manner. Combination of these character traits with my knowledge in finance will make me succeed in real estate business. The first and fore most fundamental step in my long-term personal and professional development plan is gaining a degree in finance. Academic knowledge is of great importance in realizing my professional career objectives. I am ful ly aware that it is fundamental to get my feet wet in many areas so as to attain success. This will help me in furthering my knowledge, skills and understanding in finance. I am planning to apply for different positions of internships in finance and real estate. This will offer me the necessary preparations needed in real estate industry. By attaining my education and internship, I will be able to gain the necessary experience on different aspects of

Corporate Social Responsibility: Tesco and Sainsburys

Corporate Social Responsibility: Tesco and Sainsburys Importance of CSR: Case studies of Tesco and Sainsbury Executive Summery Corporate social responsibility which needed explanation some decades ago, is now included almost every mission statement and does matter in the recent time. It is to a very large extent true that with the awareness of consumer, Media, certain rules from the authorities and pressure from NGOs have lessen the harm of the corporate world to the society. But on the other hand it has been observed that if a conflict between profit and doing the right thing is seen profit wins. To start with, the project will examine what CSR stands for in reality in the light of the definitions provided by different intellectuals. It will further highlight does corporate social responsibility matter followed by the discussion about the importance of CSR in the recent times. After that the project further enquires the different approaches towards CSR as some people are in favour and many are against CSR activities in the business. Furthermore, the project throws light on the obligation and practices of the different institutions and authorities which includes businesses, Government, Professional accountants, Non government organization and general public as well. The impartial conclusion has been made after enquiring the findings from previous literature, previous progress in respect of CSR, corporate worlds role in current situation, future priorities declared by government, accountants, non- government organizations and civil society . Moreover, an analytical approach of case studies has been adopted in the project where mainly two companies Sainsbury and Tesco have been chosen to demonstrate the corporate worlds current role with regards to CSR. In addition to two companies Sainsbury and Tesco, the analysis of the scores of other companies is also included to reach the conclusion. Finally, the projects propose some recommendation with regards to CSR for Government, Professional accountant, Businesses and civil society that they need to make collective efforts to make this world a better place not only for themselves but for the successors as well. Chapter 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is CSR? Although every organization has formed a different definition for corporate social responsibility yet there are common grounds and connection between them. CSR is about how companies manage business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. (www.mallenbaker.net) With the passage of time CSR has become very important issues in the corporate world and even for other stakeholders including media. For instance the financial times and guardian have special reporters for Corporate Social Responsibility of the corporate world. Social responsibility can be found in almost every weekly newspaper. According to Mallenbaker CSR is something which ‘like original sin can never be escaped by corporate world. The following illustration will help to explain CSR to a very large extent: In terms of the above mentioned illustration, to bring the quality of management, the organization or company has to consider all the inner and outer circle factors which will ultimately bring about the positive effect on the society. For instance if the company tries to show its responsibility in respect of Environment it has to satisfy the government, non-government organization and civil society concerned with environment. Similarly for work place it has to keep in mind the employees rights and unions as well. 1.2 Who are Stakeholders? Person, group or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organizations actions, objectives and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, customers, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions and the community from which the business draw its resources (www.businessdictionary.com). Businesses generally need to manage their relationship with their stakeholders for both short and long term benefits. It is considered more valuable for any company to involve the stakeholder in the whole process and communicate them through a sophisticated process. For the lasting relationship with the stakeholders, the managers need to expand role of the stakeholders by moving form just informing and responding to involving them in corporate social responsibility process. 1.3 Background The history of social responsibility of the corporate in the world is as old as business itself. For instance the laws to protect forest during commercial operation can be found almost 5000 years ago. In ancient Mesopotamia almost 1700 BC King Hammurabi introduced some laws for farmers, builders and innkeepers which showed that they would be prosecuted if they caused any death or major problem for the citizens. In old Rome senators grumbled about the failure of business to contribute sufficient taxes to fund their military campaigns. (www.brass.cf.ac.uk ) With the advent of industrialisation the impacts of the business on society assumed a new dimension. By the 1920s the world saw a new discussion about social responsibility of the business which was actually the beginning of the modern Corporate Social Responsibility movement. In March 2006 the European commission published its latest communication on CSR which clearly defines that the companies should recognise the social and environmental concerns in their business activities. The aim for this communication was to make Europe ‘pole of excellence ‘on CSR.Uk government also encouraged such activities and in the ‘global reporters surveys UK companies were rated the top 3 reporters. Almost 80 % of FTSE 100 companies report on social and environmental issues. (www.corporateRegister.com) 1.4 Project Objectives A large part of the project includes the discussion about the importance of the CSR to the businesses, Government, civil society and especially for the professional accountants who can play a very important role in respect of CSR reporting. It has been tried to achieve the following objective in the project. * What is CSR in reality with its true spirit * Importance of CSR in the current era * Stakeholders expectation from Corporate World * Role of professional Accountant * What the businesses are doing in this respect * How CSR can be developed * Is there any legislation exists or needed The debate on CSR is growing day by day but in reality a big part of the corporate world and society almost does not know the real meaning of the this term. Some recognise it as a report for public relation. Some say it is about to improve the business competitiveness. Some call it a good business practice. The other feels it is just a type of threat. CSR in reality is a framework of relations between corporate world and the rest of society both nationally and internationally. It is not the activities just for the big countries in the world but for all the companies exist in this world because people exist everywhere. CSR is good for long term business development as well as for wider society. The world has seen progress in every area and this thing has increased more concerns for the society. Thats why the partnership of society and business world is needed to deal with all the concerns. Government in this aspect ha a very important role to play to bound and encourage the corporate world to recognise its social responsibility and act positively. This task is not only the responsibility of one department ,company or community but participation is needed from every field of life including Governments, Corporate world, NGOs, Professional Accountants ,Professional bodies and Civil society. 1.5 Priorities So For CSR has gained more attention for all including media but on the other hand the real importance of the CSR is being neglected or going behind the scene in some way or other. Many organizations are using CSR as a tool to make money for their shareholders ignoring the other stakeholders of the business which is totally against the true spirit of CSR. The government and private bodies made some priorities in the past and started working on CSR. They precisely mentioned some principle to go along with these issues. For example U.K CSR department announced publically that it will highlight the importance of social and environmental responsibility, assist the involvement of all the small and medium sized companies in this respect. They further mentioned that they will favour the transparency of CSR reporting and aware the whole corporate not only in U.K but all over the world. To talk about the professionals who are considered responsible for reporting financial and social issues used to follow only a set of rules established by GAAP and other bodies. These rules and regulation do not seem to be helpful for the professional accountants to report social and environmental issues. The professional used to look into the past for reporting like historic cost, prudence etc and have ignored the changing trends of the world which has become the global village. Although management accounting deals with the removal of waste which is also a part of CSR yet there are so many things which the accountants are lacking. The accountants should know the reality that the standards only provide guideline and it is accountants who by using their own moral standards ethically can make the things bit better. In terms of the firms priorities for CSR, it seems that they are claiming more than taking practical steps and their priorities together with their practise are ambiguous. Although CSR reporting have become tradition in many companies but still they are lacking many aspects. It seems that they are looking after their own benefits only and not giving importance to other stakeholders .They seems to follow Friedmans idea that money belongs to shareholders only and they have to decide where to invest it. They are planning for short term ignoring long term. They do no consider this reality that by investing in social issues like community development, employees betterment , customer care, environment issue etc not only improves the reputation of the companies but develop the companies benefits in long term. But in spite of all the claims it seems that saying something and doing something practically are two separate things. One can find hundred and thousands of press releases about CSR but less practical steps can be found. It does not mean that nothing is being done on CSR but more needs to be done. Chapter 2 2. Literature review This Chapter will examine the academic literature on Corporate Social Responsibility. More specifically the review will focus upon what CSR in reality stands for, its importance, Rules and Regulation, what the companies are doing in respect of CSR, Professional Accountants Role and expectations of the stakeholders. CSR which has been used for business ethics, defined as tantamount to corporate philanthropy, and considered strictly as relating to environment policy has different meaning and importance for everyone. (McWilliams, Siegel, Wright, 2006) Through the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks to advance responsible corporate citizenship so that business can be part of the solution to the challenges of globalization. In this way, the private sector in partnership with other social actors can help realize the Secretary-Generals vision: a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. (www.unglobalcompact.org) 2.1 The concept of CSR JCI believes that CSR is about what business can do not about what business must do. It is about opportunities not about obligations or new rules. (www.davidgrayson.net). The recent CSR concept was first found in the mid-twentieth when the focus was just on social issues like charity and Labour issues. But later the area of discussion widened and covered ecological issues as well. It included how business should take account of its economic, social and environment impacts in the way it operates- maximizing the benefits and minimizing the downsides. Corporate social responsibility means that a company or business is not only accountable to its shareholders but to all its stakeholders which include its customers, suppliers, employees, local communities, investors, environment, governments etc. CSR to a very large extent has been noticed a voluntary action with less legal requirements. 2.2 Importance of CSR The exploitation in the business world is as old as business world itself. Whether it was employees rights, communities inconvenience, environment, shareholders, customers, suppliers, creditors or debtors it has been obvious everywhere. But as the CSR ha gained a lot of attention, the world has become the global village now where the comments like ‘ Profit is only responsibility can not be accepted. (Husted, B.W. and Salazar, J., 2006). Where selected stakeholders like particular suppliers, creditors or shareholders can not be favoured by managers, where abuse of power by business can not exist, employees can not be exploited and society can not ignore the damage of the environment. The main reason for the awareness for all these things is CSR. One thing is sure that the pressure on business to play its role on social issues will continue to grow in future. In the last ten years the institution which worked hard within the global sphere of operation gained more respect, power, monetary benefits and influence as well. On the other hand the institutions like police, judiciary and scores of government institutions have been failed in doing so. But the pressure is growing day by day in this respect. The governments have admitted this thing that it can not change the whole world without the help of the people who are living in the world particularly the corporate world which is getting benefits from the society. So the government is in one way or another putting pressure on the businesses to contribute towards the social issues. On the other hand businesses have also come to known that for long term recognition and benefits, they have to be active in respect of CSR. They have to recognise the rights of their employees respect their suppliers, save the environment and contribute towards the other issues which exist in the society 2.3 Intangibles and CSR The importance of the intangibles can not be ignored as the new International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) stated that from 2005 all listed European companies must report acquired intangible assets. The intangible assets includes Brand value, goodwill etc. (www.csr.gov.uk). It is said that intangible assets are more important for a business than the tangible ones. CSR not only helps in building these assets but protects and expands them. For example the brand value of any business do not start form the beginning but retained afterwards with different CSR activities which may include Consumer specific activities, health and safety measures , Sponsoring community development programme, support for clean environment and so on. 2.4Competitiveness A business can be more competitive and successful as well by adopting CSR policies which is an edge for any company. For example a link between a business and customer give more information to the business about the needs and requirements of the customer. Ultimately this thing results in the business becoming more competitive in terms of product development. CRS also makes the businesses more efficient and competitive in respect of price by taking steps like minimizing waste .If the companies prefer to make the recyclable products, it can help on the one hand to reduce a danger for environment and on the other hand can help a lot to reduce the cost of the product which ultimately results in low price for the customer and more benefits for the businesses. 2.5 Different Approaches towards CSR Corporate social responsibility is one of those topics-like Manchester United and the New York Yankees- that raises passions both for and against. (Simon, 2005). Different approaches can be found about CSR which are contradictory. This part will examine some of the approaches available and analyze them. For many years, Milton Friedman (1962) has been known as the villain in the business and social literature. His notion, that business are owned by their shareholders and they have to decide about their money if they want to give it to the charity or not, has been criticized (Husted and Salazar, 2006).He further had an argument that CSR is indicative of self-serving Behaviour on the part of manager and reduces shareholders wealth (Abagail , Donald and Patrick 2006).But without going into details this idea seems to be true that how spending more on social issues will help to maximize the benefits of the businesses . The shareholders do not have any problem to spend a moderate amount on these types of issues. On the contrary, there are others who have totally different opinions. For example Jones says in his stakeholders theory that the firms which are loyal and honest to their stakeholders ultimately create incentives for their own firms. Some say that CSR is only used by some companies to get competitive advantages. (Abagail , Donald and Patrick 2006) Some are with the viewpoint that CSR is not about giving charity only but it is more than that. It is about helping the community, taking steps to save environment, taking care of the rights of employees, improving relationship with customers and about contributing towards other social issues. (www.mallenbaker.net) One thing is quite sure from the previous experiences that companies cannot maintain business success and shareholder value by maximising short-term profits and the importance of the CSR can not be ignored in the recent time. (Oketch, M. 2004). The companies should, therefore, should take part in the activities which allow them to get benefit in the long run, and contribute as much as possible to the community without making a loss. This will take them towards a win-win situation. 2.6 CSR and Poverty Reduction Because of the unfair distribution of the wealth, people in some countries do not have food to eat and water to drink while in some countries people have more than they need. Although poverty reduction and CSR do not seem to be connected with each other yet the social responsible business can contribute to reduce the poverty especially in developing countries. Creating Jobs, Training the people, addressing the issue of child labour, gender equality, health care, community development, higher minimum wage and better working place conditions are some of the steps under the roof of CSR which can help to reduce the poverty to a certain level. A proactive approach of corporate world, society, professionals and governments is needed towards CSR to reduce the poverty. 2.7 Professional Accountants role Scores of Professional accountant have already started taking steps to adopt the concept of CSR and ready to contribute towards a contemporary issues especially environment-being the most important currently. But they have been criticised usually for not unfolding the required information which the stakeholders are looking for. Their CSR reporting fails to be logical and does not produce comparable data on environmental issues, risks and uncertainties which can be relevant to the business current and future performance . The main objective of corporate reporting is to communicate economic measurement of the information about resources and performance that would be useful to users who have a right to this information. To fulfil this objective, corporate reports have to possess the following qualitative characteristics: relevance, reliability, comparability, objectivity and timeliness (Barry Elliot and Jamie Elliot, 2004). Accountants, who are actually considered responsible for reporting all the aspects, have been following set rules made by professional bodies and other authorities. These bodies have only provided basic rules which do not include the ultimate guidance on social and environmental issues. Furthermore accountants have been focusing on past only rather than dealing with present and future. For instance historic cost, prudence, representational faithfulness and so on have been their basic areas of interest. These concepts actually do not help when reporting social and environmental issues. After years of criticism both professional bodies and government worked out certain criterias about these issues. But in spite of the fact that accounting standards have some provisions and government has put some restriction, the accounting professionals need to take these new issues into consideration while reporting financial performance. The standards only provide basic guidelines to standardise the system globally and the whole world will be a better place if theory and practice is balanced for its betterment. The accounting professionals need to use their moral standards as well while reporting. 2.8 Governments role The role of the governments is very vital to improve the contribution of the business to the social development. According to many intellectual the basic thing which prompts any organization to play its responsible role in society is legislation in that particular area. There are laws which cover many areas like minimum wage, Health and safety and disclosure to investors but the governments have probably need to make some amendments in laws in the areas such as social and environment. Whereas on the other hand many opine that if the legislation regarding CSR is prepared, the businesses will only make efforts which the law requires but never more. At the moment many companies are doing their best voluntarily but the legislation can effect their motivation and they may step back. The governments have been facing two challenges. First how to engage more and more companies in CSR and secondly how to make the contribution of the companies better in terms of CSR. For the first challenge the government has made a set of rules and regulation for the companies to follow CSR and reviewed it action and polices across the board and made CSR a priority. For the second challenge the governments have been encouraging the roles of the companies which are doing their bets for the social issues. The governments can make corporate social responsibility better by providing best practice guidance, intelligent regulation and incentives to the companies where needed. Some suggestions of making a separate department for CSR have also come to the surface from many critics. They think that accountants are not supposed to deal with CSR especially social and environmental issues. 2.8.1 U.K Government U.K business world to some extent going in the right direction as the global Reports 2006 survey shows that U.K companies were rated the top three reporters (www.csr.gov.uk). ‘Since I became Minister for CSR in May 2002 we have seen rapid growth in Interest in the application and implications of CSR. What has impressed me most has been the level of creativity and enthusiasm brought to the subject from all quarters. Weve seen encouraging progress. Id like to highlight some significant recent developments and look at where we need to focus for the future. (www.csr.gov.uk) The government encourages companies to report on their CSR performance in different ways like: * Issued guidance on environment reporting * The ACCA sustainability reporting awards * Supported the global Reporting Initiative The U.K Government has brought the regulation up to date as well. From October 2007 Quoted companies must also disclose the information about employees, environment, social and communities matters. Company act 2006 also has shown some legislation in this respect. (www.corporateRegister.com) 2.8.2 European Union Role Like UK European commission also considers Corporate Social responsibility an important area and have already started working. In 2001 the European commission developed a strategy on CSR which resulted in the establishment of a Multi-Stakeholder forum on CSR in October 2002.In march 2006 European commission published its communication on CSR which states that CSR can make a significant contribution and make Europe a ‘ pole of exellance. During its presidency of EU in 2006, Finland held a conference with the name ‘ Corporate social responsibility policies promoting innovation and competitiveness which also emphasized on the importance of the Corporate Social Responsibility. (www.csr.gov.uk) 2.8.3 International Commitment In September 2006 a ‘world summit on sustainable development was arranged in Johannesburg where all participant committed to promote corporate responsibility and made a future line of work. Some critics, however, says that the government is trying to avoid its duties because it is just dependent on the NGOs. Governments are trying to push NGOs on the front foot instead of going forward themselves. It is true that governments are making efforts for the development of CSR but the main problem is practice. It has been observed in different surveys that the non-government organizations in the world are making more efforts and taking practical steps for the solutions of social issues than the governments and the Governments are lacking the implementation of the its theory . 2.9 Consumer and CSR To talk about the role of the general public, they have also a very important role to play. Sometime the companies want to be more efficient and wishes to make CSR Central to their corporate identity. For instance the Seventh Generation who are the suppliers of the chlorine-free toilet tissues and Ben Jerrys, who are the eco-friendly ice-cream maker, have not been responded well by the consumer. It seems that only minority of people are ready to pay premium prices for these responsible products. This type of behaviour from consumer can demoralise the companies or force them to limit their CSR activities. Some critics says that only consumer can not be blamed for not supporting CSR activities as it is the duty of the government that it should aware the general public about CSR. If a common consumer does not know what CSR is or how it can be supported, how consumer can encourage such activities. 2.10 NGOs and CSR NGOs and trade unions have been pointing their fingers at the international government bodies for their lack of commitment towards CSR. It is to some extent true that companies have been left alone with less guidance and little support from governments. It has been noticed that Non-government organizations have been working more actively than the governments. Whether they are social or environmental issues non- government organizations seems to be excelled. For instance in many parts of the world different charitable or non- profitable organizations are going ahead to the governments institutions, professionals, and corporate world. ActionAid , Amnesty International UK , Oxfam GB , Refugee Council , Saferworld , Save the Children UK and World Development Movement are some of the examples of the NGOs which are working for social and environmental issues and putting their best efforts without making any profit. 2.11 CSR in developing countries CSR aims both to improve the contribution of the business in society and maximize the benefits out of the business activity. The more CSR activities can be found in the richest countries than in the middle and low-income countries. The agenda of CSR is less visible in these countries. CSR actually offers opportunity to the governments, Private Sectors, Professional Accountants to bring changes in the current social system in these countries. Even the companies which are doing their businesses in the developed countries can do a lot in these countries by expanding their Corporate Social Responsibility practices to these countries. By doing this they can enlighten their image and get long term benefits as well. However over the past few years the governments, businesses NGOs and civil society have managed to some extent to adopt CSR agenda and have started doing something in the developing countries as well . For instance the countries like South Africa, China, India, Brazil and Philippines have started CSR movements in their respective countries. But it is the beginning and still lot to do in this regard. 2.12 Consequences in the absence of CSR The above mentioned discussion about CSR and its importance made one thing very clear that CSR has become essential both from the business an Social point of view. If the society, the accounting professionals, businesses and other academics in the financial field do not challenge these issues and stop being passive in order to meet the true purpose of their roles, the problems will continue to grow. As far as the businesses are concerned they make money while working in a society. If the society where they are working is strong enough in respect of money and can enjoy the basics needs of the life the economy will grow which will result in a prosperous Situation. If the companies are making money from the people, it is not strange to give some part of it back to the people in the form of facilitating them in different respects such as community development, helping the poor, Taking care the children, take care of the suppliers, customers, employees and contribute towards the solution of the environmental issues which is in reality their surroundings as well. It is said that to get love from some one you have to give it first. By doing all the efforts regarding CSR the companies actually enhance their image side by side other benefits for long term. In the absence of CSR business can make money but can not earn long term benefits and respect in the society in current situation. To talk about the professional accountant, it is obvious that they follow certain rules and regulations while reporting but they need to follow morality and ethics as well. The professional, of course, are the part of society and not the part of problems in society. As CSR has become a source of betterment for the society, they should take care of the social and environmental issues while reporting for the companies and should try to point the risks in future with regards to business side by side giving analysis of the past. If they just ignore the issues of the society, who knows they can be ignored by the society. Chapter 3 3. Methodology Knowledge is a series of inventive activities which applying models to unfold the reality (Watofsky, 1983) .This type of inventive process changes time to time and human beings observe the changes. But the models which human beings themselves recognise vary time to time. The method of case study has been adopted in the project which will itself answer many questions like ‘How, when and why. The procedure to go for case study is more explanatory and flexible than the other methods. Case study procedure is found suitable because it helps to understand the complex issues deeply, points out the problems during the procedure and suggests remedies as well. The Case studies of Sainsbury and Tesco in this project are carried out in order to know the current situation of CSR and its importance in corporate world in U.K. The reason for selecting Sainsbury and Tesco is that the both companies are the very successful and big names in the U.K, represents other business community and rivals as well. The project aims to observe the CSR importance by analyzing their intern